European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 19, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes tuesday november 19, 1985 Elbe Alliance vets Laud Effort to improve  ties Summit sidelights by de Reavis staff writer Geneva. Swit7crland three world War ii vol crans who were among the first americans to meet soviet soldiers spoke out monday in support of president Reagan s Effort to bring americans and soviets closer together. Calling themselves the Elbe  the men made a plea for a permanent Monument in Tougau East Germany on the Elbe River where american and soviet troops first met As common victors on the Battlefield of the second world War. Albert Buck Kot buc of Colfax Calif., said he was wary about coming to Geneva to Tell world leaders whal they should do when they obviously Are Here to do  but the retired lieutenant colonel said he decided he could not stay away from such a Good cause even though he realised he would have Little effect. At a news conference Kotzebue said the . And soviet soldiers swore at their Elbe meeting 40 years ago to work for world peace so that we might become the last veterans of our  Kol Debuc called the late Joe Polowsky the father of the Elbe Alliance Between american and soviet Veter ans. Polowsky who served a a private in Kotzebue s patrol that contacted the soviets in the German town of starch la never forgot the oath that members of both armies swore at that Lime Kolzec Busaid. Polowsky a former Chicago taxi Driver was buried according to his last wish in Tougau in november 1981. Joe put up with a lot of ridicule and name calling for More than 30 years but remained unerring to the spirit of the Elbe meeting Kotz buc said. Kou buc urged the american and soviet leaders Dur ing the Summit not Only to think of missiles but also of Joe and Ivan the Little people so that our comrades might nol a ivc fallen in  Ken Gjemre. A 64-year-old Dallas bookseller said the fact that inc heart of Texas foundation financed his trip to Geneva demonstrated the kind of grass roots support the Elbe Alliance  Gjemre said hey decided to visit Geneva after hearing Reagan s speech thursday calling for increased people to people Contact As the first step to understanding be tween americans and soviets. He made a plea for the Elbe Alliance foundation which is raising Money to build a permanent meeting place on the Banks of the Elbe. He said they arc lobbying for april 25 to be officially known As Elbe Day in the United states and in the soviet Union. Gjemre said they have received support on the projects from 17 . Governors and a number of members of Congress. He said soviet officials seem receptive to the idea. We both soviet and americans want the world to understand clearly that we arc Here in support of our respective governmental leaders said or. Bill Robertson 62, a retired neurosurgeon from Culver City Calif. Robertson who is the american in the life Magazine photo with his Arm around a soviet lieutenant at Tougau on april 25, 1945, said the veterans want the two governments to overcome the unquiet and dangerous peace Between them and move to deeper relations. Our people deserve a better peace than we have had for the past 40 years he said. Swiss officially Welcome Reagan president retain and Swiss preside Kurt Wurgler inspect the Swiss Honor guard Tlle re Posoli near Genera during the official welcoming ceremony for Reagan monday afternoon. Before be reception three of the 70 soldiers collapsed in be bitter cold while waiting for Reagan. The soldiers were not wearing gloves or heavy Coats and had been standing at attention with their rifles for about 15 minutes before Reagan arrived. Later i the Day Furger also hosted a similar reception and troop review for soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Reagan s Summit duties include feeding pet fish Geneva Switzerland a president Rea Gan has taken on an extra chore while preparing for his Summit meeting with soviet Leader Mikhail s. Gorbachev feeding inc pet fish of a Little boy. The Young son of or. And mrs. Daniel Pometta who vacated their Home at Maison do Saussure for the president s use left a note asking Reagan to please feed the fish in the aquarium in his bedroom. The president is going in each Day and following the instructions the Little boy left and feeding the  said Elaine Crispen press Secretary to first lady Nancy Reagan. The reagans arc slaying in the main residence at Maison Saussure which is rented by the Aga Khan and the president is using the Pom Las Home for meetings with his staff. Nancy Reagan attends party with Switzerland s first lady Geneva up1 first lady Nancy Reagan wants to talk people not policies at her Tea party meetings with Raisa Gorbachev and she plans to leave politics to the men. On monday Reagan attended the tint of three Tea parties scheduled to accompany the superpower talks. Wearing a Bright red dress and a Mink hat she sat smiling and chatting with Swiss first lady Ursula Wurgler at a Tea Given in her Honor at be Rcpt soil a mansion regularly used by the Swiss government. Wurgler invited Gorbachev to a Sim Ilar Tea there later in the Day. President Reagan first lady have dinner with their son Geneva a president Reagan and Bis wife Nancy had a private family dinner sunday night with their son Ron who is covering the super Power Summit for Playboy Magazine a spokeswoman said monday. A Geneva newspaper. La suisse reported Sun Day that Ron has two bodyguards who came with him to get his press credentials. The spokeswoman assured reporters the family dinner was off the record and Ron did t get an exclusive interview. Letters from schoolchildren urge end to nuclear threat Geneva a a group of eight schoolchildren met monday with chief soviet spokesman Leo nid Zamalin to give him letters addressed to soviet Leader Mikhail s. Gorbachev and president Rea Gan. Numbering about 100, the letters called on the leaders of the superpowers to Criminale the threat of nuclear War. The schoolchildren came from Brilain Germany and Switzerland. Plight of soviet jews brought out in Geneva by de  Starr writer Geneva Switzerland jewish Lead ers gathered monday on the eve of the Reagan Gorbachev Summit meeting to Force the plight of soviet jews into the International limelight. In separate news conferences the world conference on soviet jewry and the Simon wic Senchal Center of los an Geles brought witnesses and documents to support their Contention that jews Are suf Fering religious persecution in the soviet Union. Avraham Harman president of the is Rael Council for soviet jewry said the Council came to Geneva with the Hope president Reagan would take a Strong stance on the human rights Issue and Force con Cessions from soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev for soviet jews. Rabbi Marvin hic of the Simon wic sent Hal Center said his organization placed no great value on soviet treaties or promises. The Complete disregard of the Helsinki accords on human rights in the soviet Union has proven thai general Secretary Gorbachev s signature on any agreement in t Worth the paper on which it is writ ten hic said. Hier was a member of a 32-Pcrson delegation allowed to travel in the soviet Union in May and meet with jewish activists there. Summarizing his impressions of the life of soviet jewry Hier called it  hic said the activists want Reagan to learn from Gorbachev the number of jews the soviet Union plans to allow to leave during the coming Yean. If we Don t get numbers they la agree on some vaguely worded phrases in which the so t Union will pledge to Honor human rights and he May continue to persecute religious  Josef Mendelevich 38, a former Rufu Senik a jew who has been denied per Mission to emigrate to Israel said he spent 10 years in soviet prisons for his activity in jewish religious affairs. Mendelevich who now lives in Israel cited several cases of refuseniks who were sent to prison for teaching hebrew or demonstrating interest in jewish religious life. The smile of Mikhail Gorbachev re minds me of the smile of the director of my prison Mendelevich said. Mendelevich presented a slim Book written by refuseniks mothers and their children. The Book which recently was smuggled out of the soviet Union is titled a child in  its first pages con Tain a in incr to Nancy Reagan asking her to consider inc plight of jewish children not allowed to grow up with the religion of their parents. According to the world Council on so Viet jewry there arc some 30 million jews living in the soviet Union. About 400,000 soviet jews have invitations from relatives to visit Israel a soviet prerequisite for emigration. We believe there Are Many More per naps a million that would apply to leave it the threat of certain reprisals were re moved Harman said. Both organizations have the same de mands of the soviets the right to Emi grate the right to learn about their Heri Tage and the right to pursue a jewish